Rock 'N Learn: Spanish
by Richard Caudle
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DVD details
Actor: Rock 'N LearnDirector: Richard Caudle
Brand: ROCK N LEARN
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 55 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-04-27
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Rock 'N Learn
Product features:
- Satisfaction Ensured
- Design is stylish and innovative.
- Functionality that is Unbeatable.
DVD Reviews of Rock 'N Learn: Spanish
DVD Review: Great DVD for the family
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this DVD over four years ago, and my kids still love it. I admit it is a littly cheezy, but it is easy to remember the words and phrases when they are put to music. My kids are now ages 11, 9, 6, and 3. The older two mostly imitate and make fun of the songs now, however they pronounce the phrases perfectly and they know the meanings. In my opinion that is what matters. Perfect for teaching all the basic Spanish phrases to children, and a great refresher for adults.DVD Review: Hard to Hear
Summary: 3 Stars
Good video concept... we all are learning something from it. However on many occasions the instruments are louder than the voice speaking. Of course that doesn't seem to bother my children any, as they enjoy the music! My boys ask for it often and have certainly gained an enthusiasm for learning Spanish from this DVD, but as a teaching aid, it will probably fall short.DVD Review: Cool
Summary: 4 Stars
This video has good graphics but I wouldnt recommend it if you are prone to headaches or seizures.
The songs are good...well a few at least like the color one or the alphabet one.
It teaches a lot like time and weather and alphabet and colors and some descriptive words and seasons and question words etc etc.
It isnt the most exciting...but it is way better than Habla Espanol.
DVD Review: Quirky but effective for learning and fun
Summary: 4 Stars
You might be confused by all the reviews here and the extreme range of tastes. Try to overlook the extremes and you'll find what this DVD is really like. Personally, I mostly agree with the recent review by Jennifer Bogart.
The disc is often very fast-paced, but I didn't find that to be a problem because I don't think the producers intended for viewers to learn all this content in a single viewing. We all learn language (whether our first language or others) through repetition, so I expect to be seeing this disc repeatedly with our young student, soaking up a bit more each time.
The material is presented bilingually, so one should easily connect corresponding English and Spanish words and phrases. This is done both in the songs and the onscreen text, which means you do not need a book to go with it. As others have noted, it does seem that this might be almost as useful for people who are learning English as a second language, as it is for English-speaking people who want to learn Spanish.
I do not understand, and do not agree with, reviewers who complain about phrases in the disc being "peculiar" or that material is presented without context. And it is completely wrong to say that there is no "dialogue" in the program. On the contrary, in sections there will be one person asking a question and another person providing a context-appropriate response (like the obvious "how are you" and "fine, thank you").
What may throw some viewers off is that the people doing the talking aren't presented in some kind of fictional setting for a casual chat. Instead, they talk primarily to the camera, while their dialogue is translated onscreen, and the "conversation" is achieved by intercutting between the actors. Since you are trying to learn the words, I think this works fine.
The music is peppy, not Grammy quality but certainly not objectionable. I have no idea why the producers felt compelled to put in all those silly colored backgrounds, but they really don't bother me (or the grade-schooler who is the primary audience here). They detract from the professionalism somewhat but I do not think they interfere with the learning, which is all I care about.
One reviewer complained about the actress's skirt being too short. Sheesh. Trust me, she looks fine. Nothing that the kids haven't seen on TV -- or in regular life. Mostly she stands out on this DVD because the guys are mostly schlumpy-looking, but let's not hold that against her (or the guys for that matter). Pay attention to the language lessons and you'll be fine.
I also agree with Ms. Bogart that one might want to view this program in short segments rather than all at once. But in any case I'm sure we'll be viewing this one repeatedly and getting a pretty good foundation to connect with other learning activities.
DVD Review: Fun, but annoying backgrounds
Summary: 3 Stars
Here in Canada the status quo second language of choice for elementary school instruction is French. With two official languages, French seems to be the natural choice for Canadians, but with only Quebec, France and a few other small countries utilizing it as a first language it seems wise to study a more widely used modern tongue. After picking up a few words and phrases from Dora the Explorer my daughter was confidently exclaiming, "I know Spanish!" It was most certainly time to bring in some further instruction. With Spanish spoken widely in South America, Central America, Spain and by minority groups in North America it seemed an excellent language to pursue.
The DVD version of Rock `N Learn - Spanish Volumes I & II contains the 26 lessons found in their original audio CD/book combinations Spanish Volume I and Spanish Volume II presented in a highly visual DVD format. While not presenting a full course in Spanish, the disc teaches Spanish vocabulary and basic phrases through song, rhythmic speech, colourful visuals and cheerful performers. The content is similar to the phrases and vocabulary typically learned in a first year foreign language course including: greetings, numbers, alphabet, colours, school vocabulary, calendar, seasons, useful questions, directions etc.
Native English speakers to the side of the screen against a colourful background say a word or phrase in English, which appears in print on the screen beside them. After a pause in which the student can fill in the answer in Spanish, a native Spanish speaker supplies the Spanish answer. For the more complex phrases video clips are shown, or computer graphics are supplied along with the English and Spanish text being spoken.
At 55 minutes in length, the disc is best viewed in short sessions. Picking a lesson or two to view several times in a row seems to work best for retention and maintaining interest levels. Attempting to view all of the lessons at once becomes somewhat droning towards the end. Because the lessons proceed at a fairly rapid pace, it takes a few viewings to become familiar enough with the terms to join in the fun. The excellent menu navigational tools offer a pictorial preview of each lesson in the scene selection feature, making it easy to focus in on specific groups of vocabulary words.
Some of the sentences are very complex, and aren't necessarily intended to be memorized in Spanish, but rather provide a translation of an English explanation on the DVD itself. Others do not seem to be commonly used, but rather provide reinforcement and some exposure to Spanish sentence structure. Parents of children with visual sensitivities or attention difficulties may want to pass on this disc, as the background colours behind the performers often include, swirling psychedelic patterns. These aren't too offensive when monochromatic (only blue for example), but when they include blue, yellow, pink etc. and the computer graphic character is wearing red, it can be quite overwhelming visually. These over the top, continually present, backdrops are my main pet peeve with the disc, the other being female performers dressed more provocatively than one would expect in a children's educational DVD.
That being said, the songs and even rhythmic speaking to background music has proven to be highly infectious in our home. Before bed I often find myself singing some of the songs with my children, and they run through my head continually. There's obviously some learning going on here. Spanish Volumes I & II is a fun and easy way to reinforce first-year Spanish lessons or pick up some simple vocabulary before taking a trip.
I would have rated the disc higher if it weren't for the backgrounds!
Description of Rock 'N Learn: Spanish
Rock 'N Learn will have you speaking Spanish in no time! Useful vocabulary words and conversational phrases are fun to learn and easy to remember with this musical approach. Energetic performers entertain and motivate learners of all ages. Delayed answers make it easy to check your progress. You'll even learn important survival phrases. (This program may also be used to help teach Spanish-speaking persons to learn English.)General DVDs
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